Although their co-ordination is getting better, children of this age are easily distracted. They are also keen to test and experiment and use their imagination. They find it hard to remember safety rules or to understand the reasons behind these.

Did you know that children aged 3 to 5…

• Enjoy setting themselves challenges and pushing boundaries.
• Love pretending to be different things – animals, cartoon characters and super heroes – and want to do all the things they do!
• Use their imagination to turn toys and everyday objects into things that designers, manufacturers and parents never intended or imagined.
• Have generally stopped putting everything in their mouth. But are still in danger of choking on food – especially if they are rushing around.
• Like to copy adults. They can operate switches and turn on taps. But often lack concentration to handle hot things safely.
• May be able to open child-resistant tops on bottles and get pills out of packs.
• Are most likely to be accidentally poisoned by eating or drinking medicines or cleaning products.
• Are less likely to drown in the bath than younger children. But still need careful supervision anywhere near ponds, swimming pools, streams and rivers.
• May be ready to start learning a bit about road safety. But are not ready to cross roads or walk along pavements without holding an adult’s hand.
• Cannot judge the speed of traffic and are easily distracted.

Top safety tips for small children - Quick links to:

Falls

House fires

Burns and scalds

Choking and suffocation

Poisoning

Drowning

Road safety

Falls

• Teach children to hold the hand rail when going up and down stairs.
• Don’t let children play on stairs. And encourage them not to leave toys and other things on stairs.
• Keep low furniture away from windows and fit window locks or safety catches. Children may copy superheroes by trying to fly.
• Don’t use the top bunk of bunk beds – they are only suitable for children over six years-old.
• If you have a balcony, never let children play there or go out there alone. And never let children climb or lean over the rails.

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House fires

Tips for preventing fires apply to all ages. For information go to fire safety [link to house fires internal page]

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Burns and scalds

• Get a thermostatic mixing valve fitted to your tap. This controls the temperature at which water comes out. If this isn’t possible, run cold water first and add hot water afterwards.
• When you are cooking, use the rings at the back of the cooker and turn pan handles towards the back. This way they can’t be grabbed or knocked over by active children.
• Use fireguards to stop children falling onto fires or heaters.
• Keep matches and lighters out of sight and reach.

For more information about burns and scalds [link to burns and scalds internal page]

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Choking and suffocation

• Encourage children to sit down when they are eating.
• Don’t give young children hard food like boiled sweets.
• Don’t give young children peanuts. They cause a special problem if they ‘go down the wrong way’ into a young child’s lungs.
• Keep plastic bags out of sight – they are a big risk to children this age. And don’t store toys or children’s things in them.
• Cut or tie-up curtain or blind cords well out of children’s reach. Small children can strangle themselves if they get caught up in these.

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Poisoning

• Keep all medicines and cleaning products locked away or on high up shelves – where they are out of reach and out of sight
• Don’t keep pills in your handbag or bedside drawer – where curious children can easily find them.
• Look out for cleaning products with a bittering agent that makes them taste nasty.

For more information about poisoning [link to poisons internal page]

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Drowning

• If you have a garden pond, cover it with a solid, rigid cover or, better still, fill it in. And make sure a young child can’t reach the pond next door.
• Watch young children all the time if they are playing in or near water.
• Don’t rely on arm bands or swim jackets to keep your child safe. They are designed to help a child learn to swim – not to keep them afloat.

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Road safety

• The law says that all children must travel in child car seats or booster seats – even on short journeys.
• Use a seat that is right for the weight and size of your child – and that fits your car properly.
• It is safest to keep your child in a child car seat for as long as possible. Only move them to a booster seat when their eyes are above the height of the back of the car seat.
• Hold your child’s hand at all times when you are out and about.
• Set a good example when you cross the road, so they don’t learn bad habits from you.
• Encourage your child to wear a cycle helmet when they are riding on their bike.
• Children of this age are too young to play or ride their bikes in the road.
• Take extra care in your drive when reversing your car, in case your child is in your mirror’s ‘blind spot’.

For more information about road safety